GA ACTOR
Both Sides of the Performance Deji LaRay, creator and star of Johnson , discusses his craft By Den i s e K. Jame s
W hen Deji LaRay was in elementary school, his mother wisely heeded the advice of his 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Banks: to foster his natural talent through live theater. Young Deji immediately took to the stage, first at school and then around the city of Atlanta, performing his heart out in venues such as the Horizon Theatre, Neighborhood Playhouse and, eventually, Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, or YEA, which was based in Little Five Points. “I think it was YEA that really made me into a true performer,” he says now. By the young age of 13, LaRay was in New York City, signed with the Carson-Adler Agency—at the referral of Barbara Hawkins-Scott, play director at home in Atlanta—and performing his very first Broadway production. A few years later, 17-year-old LaRay planned to attend Howard University but decided to go to Los Angeles for the summer and attend a few auditions. “About a week before I was supposed to begin my studies at Howard, I decided to stay in L.A.,” he shares. “I already had my dorm assignment and had paid my washer/dryer fee!—but I enrolled in California State University, Los Angeles.” It turned out to be the right decision. LaRay was soon producing his own films and even writing his own scripts. He realized that he enjoyed both sides of performing—not only acting in a production, but also creating one. “I knew at that moment I wanted to be a well-rounded filmmaker,” he says. “I love all aspects of filmmaking.” Today, LaRay’s multifaceted love for performance art is more fruitful than ever. His show Johnson recently broke records on the Bounce network, opening to 2.1 million viewers and producing the highest-rated month in network history: August 2021. In LaRay’s thinking, Johnson resonates with audiences thanks to its honest portrayal of many controversial topics, not just in the Black community but on a universal level. Filmed in Atlanta and featuring LaRay himself as writer, producer, and lead actor, the success of Johnson is the result of impeccable timing; he began brainstorming the pilot back in 2014. In 2017, he met his producing partner Thomas Q. Jones, who came on board as an executive producer. In 2020, Reesha L. Archibald took the pilot to Eric C. Rhone and Cedric the Entertainer, all of whom “championed the project.” LaRay says developing the show and putting together “a strong team” is something he was willing to wait patiently
for—and the wait was clearly worth it. “I think it’s all a testament to creativity—timing is everything. It was a long road, but it needed the right people,” he says. Of course, there have been a number of simultaneous projects: LaRay is consistently writing scripts for more shows and feature films, as well as guest-starring on shows and performing his recurring role on Amazon Prime’s Bosch . He looks forward to future successes with his production company, Midnight Pro- ductions, which he co-founded with Thomas Q. Jones, and has “a lot of other projects in the queue.” These include a feature film shot in the Philippines called Escaping Paradise and other shows and films he’s not at liberty to discuss just yet. At the time of our interview, LaRay was preparing for his guest role on an episode of NCIS: Los Angeles the next week. In early 2022, he’ll be back home in Atlanta for three months to film season two of Johnson —he currently resides in California but says he always looks forward to spending time with his immediate family back home. “I’m part of the community, and I value having a show that employs people in Atlanta,” he says. To anyone with the inkling to pursue acting, writing, or any facet of performance art, LaRay offers his heartfelt encouragement and claims, “it’s all about enjoying the process” rather than just the finished product. “We all think happiness is a destination, but in actuality, the journey is what you’re supposed to enjoy,” he says. “To anyone reading this, persistence is the key. Work on your craft and be prepared when the opportunity arrives.”
“ Persistence is the key. Work on your craft and be prepared when the opportunity arrives. ”
Deji LaRay
@dejilaray | bouncetv.com/show/johnson/54026
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